Dec 20 2012
The Toro Company today announced that Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103 won top prize in the “Green Spaces Make Great Places” grant program and will use the $7,000 grant to renovate the landscape and hardscape surrounding the playground at Laura B. Sprague Elementary School in Lincolnshire, IL.
Upon receiving the news, Principal Christy Adler exclaimed, "THANK YOU to the District 103 students, staff, parents, and community members who took time to vote and help make Sprague School’s green space a better place! We look forward to the renovations that will be made with the grant from Toro. Our students and community will be the lucky recipients of an upgraded playground area."
"Toro's generosity and the support of our community have made it possible for Sprague School to receive this grant for improvements to the playground area,” added School District 103 Superintendent Scott Warren. “This summer, we will begin to repair and replace the retaining wall, drainage, and nearby landscape area while bringing it into ADA compliancy. We are truly grateful that these collective efforts will make our green space a greater place – one with improved safety features for our students and our community. We also congratulate the other finalists for Toro grants, as each represents a worthy cause."
Additional grants are being awarded to:
- Tree Trust (Plymouth, MN), which plans to use the second-place $4,000 grant to hold community tree-planting events and organize environmental improvement projects.
- Project EverGreen (Cleveland, OH), which plans to use the third-place $2,000 grant to expand its GreenCare for Communities renovation programs – and GreenCare and SnowCare for Troops initiatives supporting military families with yard work and snow removal.
- VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads (Norfolk, VA), which will use the fourth-place $2,000 grant to engage area youth in environmental projects as part of its Global Youth Service Day.
“Nearly 50,000 votes were cast in support of these community projects, and we’re excited to be able to help the Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103 in renovating its playground,” said Judson McNeil of the Toro Giving Program. “We’re equally delighted the other three finalists will receive grants to help assist their efforts in 2013, and make communities across America beautiful and green.”
Online nominations for the grants took place in October. At the conclusion of the nomination period, a panel of Toro representatives evaluated and selected four finalists who were asked to submit a brief video further detailing their organization’s mission. Videos can be viewed at www.youtube.com/toro under the “Company” playlist. The grant awards were determined by a public vote on Toro’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/toro.yard.